Maybe it is me being a n00b, but I find the Freeplay far too difficult. I like a challenge, and my set-up is by-and-large the default, with the following changes:
Initial difficult reduced to lowest possible.
Difficulty increase changed to
Scale with Colony
Attacking Waves added.
However, I just can not get very far. Usually by the third/fourth attack wave, I'm done. I've tried different tactics, such as clearing the colony of food sources before heading for the surface, or making a rush for the food on the surface asap. However, following either strategy struggle to get enough food together to build a decent defensive army before the 3rd/4th wave, which invariably has large numbers.
I enjoy the challenge, and I don't want the game to be too simple, because the fun is overcoming the struggle! So while "lowering the difficulty" (say, no waves and "Constant" setting) is obviously an option, I don't think I'd 'learn' enough from a simple challenge to be able to tackle the tougher options.
As as baseline, what's a good, 'moderate' difficulty setting that provides a challenge, but isn't nightmarish, in which I could evolve and adapt to give me a better chance to beat the 'tougher' settings?
And KUTGW, I'm bloody loving the game, even if I apparently suck